Do the Yanks Need Gagne?

They said Joba is going to the pen this year, but hes still supposed to start in the long run. Do you really think they would permanently convert him to the pen? I t hink the only way that happens is if we see LIGHTS OUT from him when he does pen work, ala papelbon...

i also heard another (but highly unlikely rumor) somethin about Melky for Gagne....do you do that (and pray damon is back lol) or n ot?

Melky should be as untouchable as Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy are. I'm probably in the minority, but I value him as highly as those guys. If the Yanks trade him for Gagne they're taking a giant leap in the wrong direction.

The more I think about Joba, the more I think he's better suited to be a closer. The Yanks probably would never say that publicly for a couple of reasons, #1, if he doesn't pan out in the pen, they have the fall back of starting him, and he wouldn't be deemed a failure because he was supposed to be a starter. #2, because it would probably diminish his value as a trading chip, if they were ever going to consider it.

Personally, I love the idea of grooming Mo's replacement now, from within. If the Yanks have the top three in their rotation and their closer locked down, in their twenties, they're going to be set.

I agree with you that Joba should be groomed for Mo's replacement, and his future would be brighter as a reliever than a starter. As high a prospect as he is considered, almost everyone agrees that he's, at best (at his peak) a #2 or 3 starter, not an ace.

Now scouts and "everyone" aren't always right, but let's assume they know more than I do. We're talking Ted Lilly like potential as a starter - decent numbers, but not top of the line ace numbers. His stuff is far more explosive than a Lilly (a lefty control pitcher), and he has excellent control, but he doesn't have much movement on his pitches, and he doesn't have an out pitch (like Pettite's cutter or Mussina's knuckle-curve). He's been striking them out in large numbers in the minors, but that could just be because he's a college pitcher who is an overmatch for the minor league hitters.

I don't know if that's the case, or if he's really that freaking good. But if he's really that good as a starter, he can be that good as a closer (see Papelbon and Gagne). And if so, then I think he can solve the Yankees 8th inning problems for now (acting like Mo did back in the beginning for Wetteland, making it a 7-inning game), and eventually take the mantle. If that happens, the Yankees not only solve a long-term dilemna (what happens after Mo), but they enjoy the next two years or so with a potentially dominate bullpen. That's more important to them right now then having another starter.

I don't know if it'll work out as well for them as Papelbon did for Boston, or Mariano did back in '96, but they have to try. And I'm excited to see what happens....

i kinda want him to be a starter, he defintely has tools to be a number one guy.(not on the yanks with Hughes and Wang chillin around though)His out pitch is a change up , although it does need to be improved, and his K/9 is best in the minor leagues (12 or so, with about 2.5 bb/9 I beleive)

on the other hand...

In his first AAA releif appearence...

Chamberlain threw 13 pitches, 10 of them for strikes.
All three balls came to the first batter he faced.

Gil Velazquez struck out looking at a slider, a pitch that was setup by a 99 mph fastball.

Denard Span took two straight 99 mph strikes, then fouled off a pitch and finally struck out swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt. Looked like a curveball to me.

Matt Tolbert struck out on three straight fastballs, the fastest of which hit 97.

You summed it up right there. I think right now he could dominate out of the pen. The learning curve is much shorter as far as pitching strategy and patterns are concerned in the pen. You only face guys once, you don't have to work through tough lineups three or four times.

I know it's tempting to have him in the rotation, but think about why the Yanks have so consistently good over the past 11 years. The answer is Mo. He's been their anchor through it all. If Joba is all he's cracked up to be, physically and mentally, they just might have that position sewed up for another decade, and you can't put a price on that.